My Ultimate Ambition

Back in the real world, the tendency of a new empress coronation was creeping closer while a jolly and adventurous girl at the top of a deep hole with whirling old spiral staircase was ready to find out what was beneath.

Heading down the pit, she cautiously strode down through doorway until she found rows of unlit candles in their bronze candle stand. Magically, the candles lit up as she took few measured steps towards the ledge marvelling her wonders. Once lit, every crook and cranny became highly visible. By the candlelight was a bronze table bearing 3 teapots and teacups, a little black kettle which seemed bear simmering hot tea as steam and fragrance wafted through her nose. Cold and thirsty, she let the inviting and welcoming fragrance lead her to it. Considering the obscure location of whatever was harboured there, she reasoned it must be the personal space of the alpha man as the uniqueness of the utensils reminded her of him. Cold seeped through her spine causing shivering fits and fearful tremor as her always been her case on his thoughts. She shivered in fright then waved it off in a fling, it's ominous thinking about the evil men in this place.

On her head was a silver hairpiece which adorned her head ever since her arrival in place of Daejong's golden one. Removing it, she dipped it inside the teacup for poison check. Spending time with him, she had observed nothing was simple about him, not even the spoonful of rice fed by him because, what the heck is teapots, teacups and kettle doing in an underground?

From her understanding, this can't be a mere secret rendezvous for everything was eerie,especially the teacups. Taking a dive for a swing, she found the teacups attached to the table and with her motor movement triggered a movement, for instead of a door opening; sharp arrowheads darted towards her from all four directions. Luckily, her agility help save her from a sure death.

The unexpected turn out caused her to tread more carefully as it seemed the room was full of contraption. With the lightness of a feline, she stealthily crept towards door-like mould which was the highlight of her invasion. As she swept her gazes across her surrounding for a new clue or unlocking mechanism she saw an hourglass with half it's sands gone. She remembered the clock outside and realised time was of essence and should become her motto. On the opposite side of the table, there laid a menacing tiger head which seemed to warn off invaders but rather than fear, curiosity warmed her mind as she tried revealing what was behind it's cold gaze. On placing her hand under it's teeth to find a key or something, she felt she had triggered something, but instead of the door opening, the ground beneath her swallowed her whole as she heard a faraway click sound of a door closing.

"Oh no!" she screamed as she kicked up some dirt with her legs. It seemed she has been trapped inside the secret vault of a secret organisation as the weird signs and outfits hung on a rack told so. She sought out immediately for a way out, help, and at the same time information on both her escape route and the sect.

The vault had a narrow hallway as both sides were flagged by both sophisticated weapons and technologies. What held her interest most were the guns that shone under the gleam of candlelights. Her adventurous mind wandered to explore every inch of the room but her sanity told otherwise. Her main priority should be her way out not adventures seeking.

The walls were decorated with fine arts she'd only seen in her dreams, she'd never seen anything as luxurious as those, not even ones in the grand empress palace. As an adventurous being she was, she feasted her eyes around the room and felt like a real explorer. She peeled her eyes from the beautiful paintings to find a mundane object sitting at a faraway site of the luxuries.

There was something about the way the candlelight spilled onto it, illuminating the object without any sharp glare. It's spot seemed hidden yet appealing, she swiped her fingers on it lightly and turned the knob fastened on it, the next second she heard the sound of running water and something which sounded like a roaring modern time engine. Everything happened in mere seconds as she found fast gush of water pouring inside the room.

Besides the knob she turned, there seemed to be another button hidden besides it. She swam furiously towards it her legs paddling in haste, there, she pressed it and found a tunnel opening on the wall, the waters streaming out.

She coughed exhaustedly and stood to find another way out while taking care to avoid destroying what was left of the room. Her heart bled for it seemed she was trapped forever, unknown to her, she already created a way in for the men lurking around, waiting to gain entrance and find her.

Yoona's mindless exploration had led to her salvation. When she turned the knob, another door had opened. The men who had somehow found the bear's appearance strange had waited to unravel the mystery and as they investigated, they found strange clues which suggested the environment was suspicious. For instance, winter was almost at it's peak yet the air was warm, the ground somehow vibrated like there's a hole beneath whenever the bear stomped it's feet, strange messages from a kite kept coming in like someone was telling them to be patient and so many other ones.

On this particular day, the bear hadn't come. A violent wave had come causing the boulder which had remained transfix to rotate on it's on. They thought they had seen it all till a tunnel opened up causing an uproar.

Prince Song and men were still in shock when phantoms breezed past them and into the tunnel. Being delirious from everything that has happened in seconds, he uttered only one cry, "Into the tunnel!".

The men woke up from their stupor and all ran blindly into the tunnel, when they arrived it was chaos . A fierce battle was going on. One group was fighting to defend their territory, the other, to find their master. Prince song found the situation sticky as he hadn't nary an idea who was the foe between both.

Just as he was indecisive on his next line of action, he saw her; the woman that gave him sleepless night, crawly out from another tunnel, wet, exhausted, scared but still dangerously beautiful. All reasoning was lost and he ran to sweep her into his arms, to shield and protect her and to have her to himself.

" Song?" she weakly said as she found it unbelievable it was him. A bit manly, muscular, strong and full of beards but it was still him.

"Yoona, I can't believe it's you but we need to escape first!" he wrapped her with his long cape as he grabbed her hands to run.

"Prince Song! escape with the empress, we'll handle the situation here his right-hand man shouted as he commanded the men to join the fight against those blue moon insignia.

Yoona looked up at him in amazement, the prince Song the emperor always made mention of was the one she made acquittance with? The known chivalrous and playful prince was actually Song?

Meanwhile, Song was shy his true identity was exposed in such situation but it never occurred to him he was holding his sister-in-law's hand,'the empress' as his men addressed her.

One of the phantom men ran towards them," Prince Song, there's a short path west of here, we will meet you once we're done here " he bowed and left to join the fight.

Song was surprised they knew his identity and didn't seem like enemies yet he felt the message wasn't directed at him. Nonetheless, he still ran with Yoona tightly held by him towards west as directed.

"Let's stop," he heard Yoona say less than five minutes they began their flee.

"Why?" he asked but Yoona disentangled her hand from his, a smile dancing on her lips.

"They will not chase after us because they have more things to safeguard in that hideout. Besides, they can only take instruction from their leader whom I know is away at this moment"

She let her eyes flutter close as she breathe in her first air of freedom, allowing the elements wash over her she felt the earth between her toes; cold but warming. Her eyes lit up when she felt a snow fall on her nose, fixing her gaze on the sky she saw a firecracker go off in the sky, a clear sign of victory.

"Let's go," and she walked briskly, leaving behind Song who was mesmerized and lost in euphoria on finding her.